These guys are excellent. The team is so much better with Steward in there instead of Roy Jones or Foreman.

IMO, Manny is one of, if not the best trainers in boxing as well. One of the few that shoot straight with his fighters between rounds. Always honest with them where they stand on the cards, and what they need to do to win the fight.

Lampley is excellent. Hard for me to watch a fight without him calling the blows. Doesn't talk too much, uses the inflections in his voice perfectly. Doesn't shill, shoots straight, and calls a spade a spade, even dogging HBO when warranted for why fights are put together.

And Merchant, a breath of fresh air in this politically correct world, even though hes starting to go a little senile a la Pat Summerall circa 1995. This guy marches right into the ring, and without fucking around, asks the exact questions the viewers want to see asked without prepping these guys with a couple ego inflating softballs.

Great trio.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

They are the best in the biz. Steward apparently, has replaced Jones on the regular HBO fights, and they have a new crew for Boxing After Dark. Steward is like Foreman, and Jones, he gives great analysis, without telling you how great he is/was, or getting sidetracked. Lampley, who I feel sometimes favors the fighter that HBO wants to win, is always well prepared, and actually gets excited when something big happens. It's not phony with him.
Merchant, is my favorite. He tells it like it is, if a fight is shit, he calls it shit.
He does ask tough questions, but unlike Jim Gray, fighters respect him, because he's been around the fights forever, and they know he's a straight shooter.

Was Merchant the man who kept hammering on Foreman after he won a gift decision back in the day, before Foreman finally gave us this quote of the century..."ahh, shucks, I'm just here trying to sell my grill"?